Castilleja Employee-Student Boundaries Policy 2024-25
The below are protocols employees must follow. These protocols and requirements are not an exhaustive list of prohibited employee conduct, but rather a general framework for describing inappropriate employee conduct that is prohibited.
- Sexual or sexualized conduct between an adult employee and a student is absolutely prohibited. Sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, expression of sexual or “romantic” interest, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature between adult employees and students are strictly prohibited. This includes sexual behavior by an adult toward any student, even if she is 18 years of age or older. No sexual behavior, invited or otherwise, by any employee toward any student, will be tolerated.
Physical Contact:
- Do not initiate or allow unnecessary physical contact with a student either in a public or private situation.
Electronic Communication:
- Do not engage in private correspondence with students. Always use your school e-mail account when corresponding with students. If you receive personal communication from a student and the communication is not appropriate, keep a copy of the communication and inform your Department Chair.
- Do not give students your cell phone number without the knowledge and permission of your supervisor.
- Do not “friend” your students or allow students to access your social media.
- Do not text your students, except in the course of your responsibilities as a chaperone.
- Employee communications with students (e.g., notes, email, texts or other electronic exchanges, or phone calls) must be for School related reasons only and must be professional in all respects.
Face to Face Meetings:
- Do not be alone in a room with a student unless there is a window permitting others to view the room or the door is open.
- Do not allow students in any classroom without adult supervision.
Off Campus Conduct:
- Do not engage in personal relationships with parents of students that create any conflict between school and personal interests or favoritism, or the appearance of such conflict or favoritism, and disclose any personal relationships with parents to the Head of School.
- Do not visit students in their homes unless their parents are present; do not invite students to your home.
- Do not transport students in your own vehicle.
- Do not hire students to work in your home or at your personal events.
Emotional boundaries:
- Students should not become overly friendly or familiar with you, and students should never call teachers by their first names or nicknames.
- Do not seek emotional involvement with a student for your benefit.
- Comments, sexual jokes, vulgar language or stories with sexual innuendo are never appropriate.
- Do not give gifts to an individual student that are of a personal nature.
- Do not loan money or give money to students.
- Do not take the role of a surrogate parent with a student; do not criticize a student’s parents to the student.
- If a student shares confidential information that could pose a threat to the student or others, the employee has an obligation to and must notify his/her supervisor or a School counselor, or make a report of suspected child abuse or neglect in keeping with the School’s child abuse reporting policy and mandated reporting laws.
- Employees may not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs or consume alcohol or drugs at any School-sponsored activities where students are present. Employees are also prohibited from discussing any personal alcohol or drug use, whether past or current, with students.
- Employees must act with transparency; any interaction with a student should be something an employee would feel comfortable saying or doing in front of that student’s parents and the employee’s supervisor.
Employees must understand their own responsibility for ensuring they do not cross the protocols and requirements established in this policy. Disagreeing with the wording or intent of the established protocols and requirements does not alleviate employees from strictly complying with this policy and will be considered irrelevant for disciplinary purposes. If an employee finds him or herself in a difficult situation related to boundaries or has questions related to these protocols and requirements, the employee should consult the Head of School or their supervisor. Employees have an obligation to report to the Head of School any behavior they deem inappropriate or in violation of this policy. Employees need to recognize that because of the differences in power and role between adults and students, any type of sexual behavior toward young people creates in them tremendous conflict, embarrassment, and often silence. Certain conduct also may violate criminal laws. Employees must therefore consider themselves protectors of each individual student.